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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — a committee
  9. vault — a safe
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. race — humankind
  18. kick — in football
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. race — a contest
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com